She Knows Badge

Tag Archives: apps

For years I have been both an online seller and buyer. Most of those experiences, like for many people looking to either sell or to purchase a good bargain, were spent with eBay. While I still do occasionally buy or sell a few items on eBay, over the last few years it has been on a serious decline for both. I have tried out buying and selling on a few other websites, I have even tried out some Facebook groups, but most of them just don’t have the exposure or amount of people involved to really have the potential most people are looking for.

But late last year I really went on a search for new places to buy and sell and I came across some apps people were talking about. I decided to give them a try, and well they are pretty great. I am sure some of you are already using them, but some of you probably have never heard of them. So I am here to tell you all about it. And just so you know, there are way more than just three out there, but these are the top three that I feel comfortable recommending.

1. Poshmark

I have been both buying and selling on Poshmark since January of this year. My experience has been overall a positive one. Though I highly recommend if you are going to get into the selling aspect you join a group for help. One like The Best Poshmark Tips Facebook group is good. There are restrictions on what you can sell, so make sure you read everything before listing to sell. I really like that they made it easy to create a widget so I could share my listing and some of my favorite sellers with you guys.

And if you are new to Poshmark, if you sign up using the code JUPTZ you will save $5 off your first purchase. I don’t think there is any kind of minimum purchase requirements either.

I have lots more up for sale than the few items showing in the widget, that is just to give you a preview. But I wanted to also give you an idea of some the things I have bought from other people and what kind of price I paid.

This is the City Chic Spotty Dot Top. I already had one in gray, and had really wanted this pink one for the longest but they were all sold out. I found one in my size new with the tags on it on Poshmark. I paid $15.

I found these unique unicorn clutches on Poshmark. I purchased the silver one, it has a rainbow metallic look to it in person. I paid $19 on Poshmark.

I needed a tiered lace skirt for the new steampunk costume I put together this year. I found this new with tags Torrid three tier skirt. The seller was originally asking $17, I ended up paying $13.

That is right you can negotiate on Posh. Though here is a solid tip for those looking for a bargain, most sellers don’t mind you asking for a deal but don’t be offensive with your requests and take no for an answer. For instance if a seller just put out a brand new item you think t’s a little too high, don’t offer less than half their asking price. That is a good way to get blocked by sellers. Most people are already selling items 30% to 50% off the original retail price anyway, and most items on Poshmark are either new or gently used. There are exceptions, so make sure you ask lots of questions before buying if you are unsure of anything.

Poshmark seems pretty fair to both the seller and buyer. When you make a purchase the money goes into a holding account until the transaction is finished. The seller has so many days to ship, if they don’t ship before seven days (though they are encouraged to ship much quicker) the buyer then has the option to cancel their purchase and get a refund. But if the item was shipped on time, when the buyer receives it they have up to three days to inspect it. It is encouraged that you inspect quicker than that, but it is a time allowance for in case you just don’t have time the day you receive. Once you inspect you either release the funds and rate the seller or you tell Poshmark there was an issue. If there is an issue Poshmark has you send the item back to the seller and when they have the item back you get your money back. It works quite well, and this is my #1 pick for apps to use.

2. Vinted

I signed up for Vinted around the same time I did Poshmark. I haven’t ever listed anything for sale on there, at least not yet. I have bought some things though. It doesn’t look like Vinted has any widgets to share your favorite sellers or anything. But my favorite item I have purchased were these Steve Madden Troopa Boots gently used.

These retailed for close to $200, but I paid $18 for them on Vinted.

There doesn’t appear to be any code to share for shopping credits, if I find anything different I will update this later.

3. Mercari

I have only recently signed up for Mercari. I haven’t bought or sold anything yet. I decided to sign up because I have heard so many great things from other people I thought it was worth checking out. If you download the app and use the code XMMXCB you will receive $2 off your first purchase.

I thought I would share some things I have found on there that might interest some of you.

The items I listed were available to purchase as I was writing this, so I am sorry if they have sold before you saw this. Obviously there are more options available on Mercari in plus sizes than what I have posted here, but I wanted to give you some idea of what is on there.

There is however fewer options in plus sizes here than on the other two apps. But they do have other categories to shop the other apps don’t, like housewares.

Tips For Shopping On Apps

Most people selling on these apps are honest, however people make mistakes and forget to mention things sometimes, and unfortunately there are some people strictly trying to scam you. To make things easy on everyone here are some easy things to make your app shopping experience ten times easier. ask lots of questions.

Read the listing, and then reread it. I can not tell you how many times I have heard people say they were unhappy with purchases, or that it just wasn’t what they expected, but had they read the listing instead of just looking at the title and picture they would have known what to expect.

If you are buying clothing, know your measurements not just your sizing. And ask for measurements. There are no returns on these apps.

Ask lots of questions. If you aren’t sure about something, after you have read the listing, then don’t be afraid to ask. And seller that is being honest with you will happily answer your questions.

Ask for more pictures. If you really like an item but something still doesn’t feel right or they have posted pictures that are hard to see ask for more pictures.

Be patient and courteous to the seller. Try to remember this is not most of these people’s full time jobs. Most people are just selling on their off time to help make ends meet or to clear out their closets. So they aren’t always available to answer your questions immediately.

This is not a yard sale. Haggling on most of these apps is allowed, but don’t offer yard sale prices. Most items are either brand new or like new, so offering someone $5 for an item that was originally $200 is very insulting.

And finally, don’t forget to rate your seller. Keep your ratings based on things like shipping time. Did they answer your questions. Was the item described accurately. So if you receive an item and you decide you just don’t like the way it looks on you, please don’t give the seller a bad rating. You are not rating the item, you are rating the seller and it affects them.

Tips For Selling On Apps

Most buyers are honest and just looking for a good deal. However, just like the occasional seller, there are some buyers who are out to run scams. And if you want to make sure to have done your best as a seller and give the app you are selling through no reason to side against you, then here are some quick tips for selling.

Always be willing to answer questions, even if you have already answered them.

Take lots of pictures. Using stock photos are great for details, but always either post or be willing to produce without hesitation actual pictures of your items. This is for both the information of your customer and your own safety of sorts.

Keep a tape measure handy. You can either post measurements in your listing or give them out when asked. I tend to do a mixture. If the brand I am selling is known for being consistent in their sizing I usually wait to be asked. But if I know the sizing is odd for something I will either post it runs small or large, and post measurements.

Be courteous to your buyers. Everyone has bad days, so you may even have someone say things that seem not so nice. Just brush it off and move on. If it’s really bad you can always block them.

Always find out what the rules are for selling and what can be sold on each app or place you are selling.

Keep all your records or documentation like pictures and measurements until after you receive a rating from your customer. If for some reason you do have someone open a case against you, you may need it as proof to back up your statements.

I hope these tips help anyone thinking of buying and selling on an app. There really is nothing to worry about, you just need to be informed before buying.

So tell me have you shopped on one of these apps before? Is there another app I didn’t mention you think we should all know about? Have a tip for making shopping easier? Please share in the comments below. And I would love to see some of your favorite purchases.